Not One Soul Living
by Elaine Dawkins
Summary: Tanya starts her schooling at Hogwarts. Chaos ensues.
1. Chapter 1

❖ _One_ ❖

It was a cold, dreary evening. Rain poured down from the dark clouds that huddled near the earth, covering it with dark blue and grey shadows. Everything was wet and the sound of dripping could be heard as the water droplets sprinkled Tanya's old umbrella. She rested it on her shoulder and looked up at the sky. Rain splashed her face and trickled down her cheeks, down her neck, and down under her cloak. Pulling up one of her mitten-covered hands, she rubbed the water away and straightened her blue beret. The sky was quickly darkening and the sound of thunder could be heard in the distance. The wind was picking up; the trees bent and creaked, golden leaves brushed the ground, and the lonely cry of a few lone ravens could be heard, echoing from far away. Tanya shivered suddenly as a huge gust arose and sped it's way past her. She pulled her cloak tightly about her and continued to wait in silence.

The man who had dropped her off had already left half an hour before. She had hoped that he would stay with her, but he seemed in quite a hurry. . .

"Should I stay in the carriage?" she had asked him.

"No, just go and wait on the doorstep. I need to turn about and head back to the main road . . . go on now," he handed her a trunk and several small pieces of luggage. Then, wishing her well, he turned the horses about and headed off at a gallop.

Tanya had stared after him until he turned a corner and vanished behind a clump of dark evergreen trees. Since then, she had done as she had been told; she waited.

And waited. It was near seven and the darkness deepened to a soggy navy blue. How much longer would it be? Tanya felt hungry. She sat down upon the top step and began to munch on a bit of dried crust that had been stuffed in her pocket earlier that day. She bit off a bit and began to chew it slowly and with much thought. After a minute, she swallowed and looked down at the bread. After inspecting it's crevasses and it's mealy texture, she placed it in her left palm and held it out in front of her. She looked up to the sky and watched as the rain pelted downward. She felt it splash on her hand and knew that it was moistening the bread with every droplet. Once she was satisfied that the crust was now soft, she lowered her gaze and took an even bigger bite.

Without warning, light suddenly poured down from above. Tanya looked up to heaven in expectation, but that was not where the light had come from. She twisted around and looked up at the stoney castle. In an upper story, some candles or a fire had been lit. She rubber her eyes and peered up. Something moved behind the window and a silhouette appeared. It came forward and then retreated, blocked at once by the glare the brightness caused.

Tanya arose and came near to the large oak doors. She saw an iron door-knocker and immediately used it. It made a clanging noise which echoed off the stone as though she had rapped at a thousand door-knockers all at once. She stepped back a few paces and wondered why she had even bothered. The inhabitant of the castle had seen her and he was probably on his way now. Tanya went over to her luggage and began to gather it together in her hands.

What a spectacle she was! Drenched, umbrella stowed under her arm, hands grasping at least four suitcases, and with a large trunk set behind herself. She stared at the oak doors and waited, a pleasant smile creasing her cold, pale face.

A door opened and there stood a tall, black-haired man who appeared to be in his early twenties. He wore a black cloak over what appeared to be some sort of suit-like attire. He eyed her at first and then his expression changed to a look of amusement.

Tanya smiled even wider and she looked down at herself as if to say, 'well, yes, this is me!'

The man spoke first, "Come inside . . . uh, leave your luggage here; it will be brought in shortly."

Tanya dropped her belongings on the doorstep and came quickly into the entry. The man closed the door and paused momentarily. He took a long look at her and then said, "You are Tanya." It was not a question, but a remark.

Tanya nodded and then asked, "Who are you?"

The man raised his eyebrows in what appeared to be surprise. "That, I will tell you - as if you did not already know . . ."

"But I don't," she gave a weak smile and then turned to look at a large marble staircase.

"No, you have guessed, though. Believe me, you know."

Tanya looked back at him and waited expectantly.

"Let us go up the staircase and to my office . . . we will speak a few words together there. I want to avoid prying ears and eyes. Follow me . ."

She was led up several flights and down many different winding corridors. The young man stayed completely silent as they went along. He seemed to focus solely on their journey. He looked neither to the right nor the left, but strode along with the speed and security that showed he knew every hallway and door like the back of his own hand. The castle seemed to be one great labyrinth; a maze of passages that all lead to more hallways and doors. After a while, they came to a room with a silver covered door. The man ushered her within. The chamber was lit by several candles that flickered along the high walls. There was a walnut desk in the middle of the room and several shelves filled with leather-bound books of all shapes and sizes. The only thing that seemed odd about the room was the fact that no paintings hung on the walls. In fact, they were completely bare, except for a crack in the plaster or a cobweb.

Tanya sat down in a velveteen chair. She crossed her legs and leant forward, resting her elbow on her knee. She placed her head in her palm and cocked her head. She waited patiently as the man sat down behind the desk and stared, once more, at her.

"Zelda," he said this in a manner that showed he was speaking more to himself.

"Zelda?"

He turned his eyes upon her and then said matter-of-factly, "Yes, your mother."

"Ah huh. How do you know?"

"She was here twelve years ago. I remember her."

"Oh," she shifted in the chair and then said, "You were going to tell me . . ."

"No. You are going to find it out yourself and tell _me_," he grinned. "I have been waiting twelve years for this."

"You are the - um . . ."

"Try to figure it out; you know this."

"I need a bit of help," Tanya mumbled this last bit of dialog and then fell silent.

The man leant back in his chair and looked up to the ceiling. "What gifts do you possess?"

"Well, my mother taught me to weave. It's the family business - she owns a cloak shop in Diagon Alley."

"No," he looked at her with a calculating stare. "Something you do naturally . . . what languages do you know?"

"Well, English, a bit of Russian . . ."

"You're holding back. Don't play dumb with me," it was obviously meant as a threat for his voice went quite cold.

Tanya took in a breath of air and answered, "I only know those languages - maybe a bit of French, but . . ."

The man stood up suddenly and a flash of lightning streaked across the sky outside the window. It seemed to reflect his emotion at that point; anger and annoyance. He gave her a stern expression and then pulled a long, thin stick from his robe's pocket. He aimed it at the door and then spoke in a commanding tone.

"Come Nagini! Avery!"

The door opened and a boy entered the room. He was of medium hight and appeared to be a few years older than she. He had light brown hair which he kept short and he had it covered with a black wizard's hat. He appeared to be deeply disturbed about something because his face was dulled by a look of fear and dread. He stood in the doorway, shaking slightly, and looked around the room, avoiding the man's gaze.

"Avery, where is Nagini?" the man's voice had gone down to a cool whisper.

"She is in the garden, Sir. I was in the middle of feeding her dinner . . ."

"In the garden?" he questioned softly. He paused and then asked, "Did you bring her?"

"Yes, Sir. She followed me - I am sure she heard you, Sir," the poor boy now had gone very pale and he made a face as thought these last words caused him great pain.

Tanya had sat quite still while all this had gone on. She was now beginning to get panicky. Who was Nagini? Why did the boy seem to dislike her so? As her brain began to rush with many more questions, a sound brought her attention back to the doorway.

A slithering sound was heard out in the hall and then in crawled a gigantic snake. No tiny garter snake or a small asp, but a boa. It was at least nine meters long and it was covered in gray-green scales, all arrayed in a lurid diamond pattern across it's back. As it came farther into the room, Avery backed away against the far wall and made a face as though he wanted to retch.

Tanya covered her eyes with her hands and tried not to scream. She breathed deeply and listened as the man spoke.

"Nagini, this is our newest student . . . Miss Tanya Lestrange."

Tanya uncovered one eye and saw that the snake was now staring at her and thrashing it's blood-red tongue. She gulped awkwardly and said, "Nice to meet you . . ."

Nagini blinked and then returned the salutation with a few words of her own. "The pleassssure is mine . . . shhhsssss," she flicked her tongue once more and then looked about the room.

The man spoke again, "You aught not to look so surprised, Miss Lestrange."

"But I've never . . . the snake knows English?"

"No, it knows English no more than you know Latin. It speaks as a snake should. Have you ever heard of Parseltongue?"

"No, Sir."

"Well, I see that I have been expecting too much from you. Avery?" he looked over at the boy.

"Yes?"

"Did you understand what Nagini said?"

"No, Sir. I haven't the slightest clue."

The man smiled in a mysterious manner, "Of course you didn't. Now, go back to the garden and let her finish her dinner."

Avery gave a weary eye towards the snake and then followed it out into the hallway, closing the door behind himself.

Now they were alone once more. Tanya sank deeper into her chair and let out a deep sigh.

"What is the matter?" the man's voice had a slightly sharp tone to it now.

"It's just that - I've never seen a snake that big before. I find it to be frightening."

"You're scared of her?"

"Yes, I think she could swallow me whole, Sir."

"And do you have anything else to say? Have you lighted upon any new knowledge?" he sat back down in his chair and began to twirl his wooden stick in a lazy manner.

"I can talk to snakes . . . and you are the Dark Lord?"

The man nodded and added, "You did not recognize me . . . I have changed as of late . . . I had to reincarnate myself, you see."

Tanya furrowed her eyebrows and then asked, "So that is all you wanted me to discover?"

"Not exactly. I had hoped that you would put all the things I have told you together. Try this sentence, 'I am the Dark Lord and I can speak parseltongue.'"

Tanya licked her lips and thought. After a pause she said, "Can I say something?"

The Dark Lord nodded.

"Well, Sir. You can speak parseltongue and I can also speak parseltongue."

A grin spread across his face now. "Good, good . . . I have been waiting for that. Is there anything else?"

"Not just yet, Sir. Does this concern Avery?"

He shook his head and continued to stare.

"Well, then . . I don't know."

"You give up too easily," he frowned. "Alright, we will continue this tomorrow. Think it over . . . I suppose you would like some dinner?"

Tanya nodded.

"Very well, I will lead you to your quarters. There you will eat. Come."

He led her down several more corridors and down a staircase. They came to a dimly lit hall lined with tapestries. There was a stone archway surrounding a large picture. It was a painting of a dark lake surrounded by forest and mountains, much like the surrounding landscape. It was a very old painting and it was chipped in places and the colours seemed to have faded.

The Dark Lord tapped at the frame with the tip of his stick and it disappeared, leaving a dark hole in the wall.

"Go on in . ." he urged her with a whisper. "I will see you at nine tomorrow. Don't worry about finding me; I will find you. Goodnight." With that, he turned and walked away. His footsteps echoed down the hall and then silence fell. Tanya took one last look behind herself and then climbed in through the hole.


	2. Chapter 2

❖ _Two _

The hole, it turned out, was actually a small tunnel. It was about two meters deep and consisted of slippery, brown-flecked granite. It was slightly shorter than her own hight, therefore, she was forced to crawl on her hands and knees to reach the other end. Once there, she stepped out and found herself in a very ornate room. It was filled with overstuffed, black-leather chairs. The walls were covered with tapestries; showing faded scenes of knights hunting down fiery dragons, women gathering grain in fields, country landscapes, lone villages, sunsets, etc. There was a large hearth and a bright fire had been lit in the grate. Lamps hung down from the ceiling on long iron chains, but they were cold and flame-less.

A few other students, three in all, were sitting around the fire. Their hands were thrust forward and the light glowed on their palms and faces. They all turned in unison to stare at her as she emerged from the tunnel. One boy, a fifth-year, arose from the rug, on which he had been sitting, and spoke.

"You're the new student right?"

"Yes, I just got here a while ago . ."

The boy nodded and then broke into a bit of laughter. He came over in a jaunty manner and, wrapping his arm over her shoulders, steered her over to join the others. "You can sit here," he grinned and pushed her into a chair. He then pulled over a small footstool and sat upon it. He placed his head in the cup of his hands and looked up at her in an expectant manner. The others continued to stare, the fire now illuminating their backs.

"So . . ," the boy spoke in a slow way at first and then sped up his speech to a quick, and slightly joking manner. "What's your name?"

"Tanya Lestrange."

"Nice to meet you! I'm Tyler Wesley - the head of our little group. In other words, I'm the boss and you have to listen to me . . ,"

"Don't do it!" cried out a fourth-year girl. "He's just kidding . . . he's a teaser. He's not really head over us, he's just the oldest - that's all."

Tyler turned his head and frowned, "You can shut your mouth, Liz." He turned back to face Tanya, "She's always trying to ignore my natural leadership skills. Don't worry about Elizabeth Knott; she's always a fruitcake . ."

Elizabeth made a movement with her lips and rolled her eyes. The others laughed and then went silent as Tyler raised his hand.

"We have some business to attend to . . ." he lowered his voice to a whisper. "We have a sort of society - a private one. You must be initiated in."

Tanya spoke up, "What sort of society?"

Tyler motioned for her to be silent and then continued, "You can't know until you can prove that you can be trusted. Part of that is fulfilled by the initiation. Now, there is a document. Where is it?" He looked over at the others and a boy, who appeared to be only two years older than Tanya, arose quickly and went over to the chair in which the girl was sitting.

"Aww! Ailfred! I told you to find a better place for that!" Tyler appeared honestly upset and quite amused at the same time.

"Move your behind!" Ailfred ordered Tanya, not because he was truly mean, but because his pride had been hurt by Tyler's last remark. Tanya quickly got up out of the chair and watched as Ailfred extracted something from under the seat cushion.

"Here!" he flung it in Tyler's face and then went back over to the fire.

"Thanks a bunch!" Tyler picked up the item off the floor and showed it to Tanya. "You see this square of parchment?"

"Yes."

"See all the names on it?"

"Yes."

Tyler put on a very serious face, "Please read them aloud."

"Okay . . . Tyler Wesley, Elizabeth Knott, Markum Avery, and Ailfred Malfoy," she stopped, an almost bored expression on her face.

Tyler stared at her and then said, "Those are the members - these other people in the room. Well, except for Avery - he's out right now . . ."

"What is this stuff beside the names - some sort of a stain?"

Tyler shook his head and then said, "Blood."

"Blood?!" Tanya dropped the piece of paper as though it had burnt her.

Tyler picked it up and then added, "You have to sign this and then prick your finger - it's really not bad . . ."

"That's disgusting."

"So you won't sign it? Well, then I guess you will just have to be ignored," he turned away and began to warm his hands in front of the fire.

Tanya thought for a minute and then asked, "What does the society do - what function does it serve?"

No one paid any attention to her.

"Tyler!" she came up behind him and raised her voice. "I have a question . . ."

Tyler looked about and remarked about there being an infestation of rats in the walls. Ailfred giggled and commented on the rats' annoying and incessant squeaking.

"Alright, I'll sign the paper," she did not like the idea of being ignored, or really ostracized, from the other students.

Tyler twisted around and grinned, "Knew that would do it - always does . . . Alright kiddo, let's go over to the writing desk."

They went over to a corner of the room. There stood an ancient, oak desk with a candelabra placed on top. There was also a quill and a glass bottle of ink. Tyler watched as she quickly scribbled in her name.

"It's a little drippy," she handed the paper back to him.

"That doesn't matter," he looked at the paper. "Okay, now we can move on to the next . . ."

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!! HELP ME!!!"

All eyes turned towards the tunnel.

"Oh for the love of mudbloods!" Elizabeth jumped up and ran over to the entrance. Ailfred followed her.

Tanya felt her heart begin to pound. Tyler looked over at her and put his hand on her shoulder as if to say 'it's okay - nothing to fear.'

Elizabeth got down on her hands and knees and shouted into the tunnel, "Avery, you're just fine! Shut up! You're scaring Tanya!"

"Who?" Avery stopped screaming and paused to ask the question.

"The new student . . . Avery what's the matter? Just crawl the rest of the way in and you'll be fine!"

Ailfred spoke up, "You might as well go in, Liz. The freakish 'fraidy-cat won't come in otherwise . ."

"Oh for the love of mudbloods!" Elizabeth threw up her hands in annoyance and then crawled inside the tunnel. A moment later, she came back in again, followed by an extremely frightened-looking Avery.

The boy was shaking slightly, but otherwise seemed alright.

Tanya looked at him, fearing to see lot's of blood and snake-fang marks all over the boy's skin. But, when she turned her gaze towards him, there was nothing of the sort. She gave Tyler a quizzical look.

Tyler clicked his tongue and then replied, "Claustrophobic. He can't stand the tunnel-thing."

"Oh."

Avery looked over at Tyler and asked, "Did I miss anything?"

"Not really, she's just signing the paper . . . How's Nagini?"

Avery shook his head, meaning that he did not want to discuss the snake.

"Alright . . . well, back to what we were just about to . . . Would you stop interrupting Markum Avery! We are in the middle of business here!"

Avery was waving his right hand and jumping up and down, in place.

"What is it?"

Avery stopped and then asked, "Did you vote on it?"

"No, nobody seemed to have a problem with her joining . . ."

"Well, I want to call a meeting . . ."

"You're kidding! Why?"

Avery shook his head once more and said, "I think we should stick to the rules."

Tyler furrowed his brows, "I created those rules an' I can break 'em."

"No! We all agreed. Besides I have some interesting information that can't wait!"

Tyler sighed, "Alright! We'll call a meeting." He looked at Tanya, "We will be back in a bit - just stay here . . ."

He went over to a door that stood at the other end of the room. He opened it and Tanya noted that it was a small lavatory. She watched as the others followed Tyler inside. The door was shut and the sound of a lock being clicked to could be heard. Tanya, knowing full well that the meeting was supposed to be very private, sat down in one of the chairs, took up an old magazine that was placed haphazardly on the coffee table, and began to read in silence.

Avery peeked out of the keyhole in the door.

Tyler sat down on top of the toilet lid and folded his arms. "So, what is it you've got to tell us so urgently?" he asked.

Avery turned to face him and replied, "I've got some dirt on her . . ."

"No wonder - you were out in the garden for the last hour, right?"

Ailfred and Elizabeth laughed and each gave Tyler a quick high-five for his remark.

Avery scowled, "I mean it - she can speak Parseltongue."

Tyler frowned, "That's not funny."

"Who's being funny? It certainly isn't me! I was out there, feeding Nagini, when all of a sudden I hear the Dark Lord speak my name. I went into the castle as quickly as I could and the snake followed me! I went up to his office and he introduced the snake to her . . . she hissed at it just like he does . . ."

"You sure?"

"What am I? Deaf? I watched her hiss at Nagini and the snake hissed back - no different than watching the Dark Lord talk to her. No different at all . . ," Avery lowered his voice and gave the door a malicious look.

Tyler now looked upset. "So, she speaks Parseltongue . . . No, that is not good. But, I still think we should let her join."

"Why?" Avery questioned sharply.

"Because, fuzz-brain, we can't be mean to her - she could tell the Dark Lord anything - the stakes are too high. Best to act like nothing funny is going on. Besides, she seems okay - for now, at least."

"Let's vote on it," Elizabeth spoke up. "All in favor of letting her join, say 'aye.'"

"Aye!"

"Well, that settles it," Tyler got up off the toilet. "Let's get back out there before she gets too suspicious. Remember, act normally - treat her normally."

They all followed him out and Tanya looked up as they entered the room.

"Business is taken care of!" Tyler smiled at her. "Okay, we can finish with the first part of the initiation. Go back over to the writing desk."

Tanya went over to it and Tyler fished around in one of the drawers. After a few seconds, he produced a metal paper knife. He touched the pointy end with his finger, checking, no doubt, that it was still very sharp. Next, he took Tanya's left hand. Pausing, he asked casually, "Washed it recent-like?"

Tanya shook her head, "Not for a while . . ."

"That's alright. Okay, Luv, you might wanna turn your head. This should only prick a bit. Not to worry; I'll just break through the skin a bit and rub your finger on the paper. . . Ready?"

"I guess so . . ," she turned her head, still watching through the corner of her eye.

Tyler licked his finger and rubbed it to her own. Then he dried it with his shirt. He took up the paper knife in his hand, holding it as if it were a dart. Swiftly, he swung it downward. Tanya felt the point break through her skin and she made a small squeal as she felt the pain shoot up her finger.

She looked over just in time to see Tyler grab the small piece of paper, in a fast motion, and press it to the wound.

"You alright?" he asked, still holding her hand.

Tanya nodded, but felt too unsettled by these actions to speak. Tyler, sensing this, pulled off the paper and then wrapped his arm around her. "Alright, you are now a part of the society," he whispered. "You can go sit back down - I'll go get you something to put on that - it will probably be a bit tender for a few days, but you'll survive," he led her to a chair and ran into the lavatory. A minute later, he returned, carrying a wet washcloth. He handed it to her and smiled. "Welcome to Hogwarts!" he gave her a slight punch in the arm.

Tanya smiled and answered, in a weak voice, "Thanks, Tyler."


	3. Chapter 3

❖_Three _

Tanya was startled awake the next morning by something altogether unusual. Something soft was dropped onto her face. She opened her eyes and saw some sort of object laying across the bridge of her nose. She quickly sat up and it fell off and onto her lap.

A sock.

"Ew," she pinched it between her thumb and forefinger. Next, she tossed it onto the floor.

Tyler was in the bed across the room. His eyes were closed, but it was obvious, by the way that he was grinning, that the sock had been his idea.

"Tyler," Tanya addressed him.

*yawn* "What?" he stretched and then rubbed his eyes.

"Smelly sock," she held it up and began to laugh.

Tyler joined in and pretty soon they were on the floor, rolling around, punching the ground with their fists, and exchanging remarks about the size of the sock and how its odor could make you hack.

"No, really?" Tyler wiped the tears from his eyes.

"No. I guess this is part of the initiation. A sock hazing, perhaps?"

Now, Tyler could not answer. He was doubled over once again and speech seemed impossible at the moment.

Just then, Avery entered the room. He stopped in the doorway, his hand still holding the doorknob. He frowned and then said, "Tyler, you better get going. Liz's lesson will be over in ten minutes."

Tyler found his voice, "Right. Well," he turned to face Tanya. "You wouldn't mind giving me a bit o' privacy would you, Luv?"

"Oh no, not at all!" she answered, noting that Tyler would need to change to his daytime clothing.

She followed Avery out into the hallway.

"Thanks, Luv!" Tyler called after her.

"There's no need to get excited," commented Avery in a hushed, yet serious tone. "That's just a pet name - it's supposed to infuriate you."

Tanya nodded.

"On a lighter note," he eyed her with a sullen expression. "I have work to do." He picked up a bucket that was set against the wall. He grunted a bit as he lifted it up and Tanya noticed that there was a rotten smell in the air.

"What's in that?" Tanya pointed at the bucket.

"Oh that?" Avery gave a weak grin. "Dead rodents."

"From?"

Avery chewed on his tongue for an instant and then said, "Come with me and I'll show you."

He turned away and began to descend the staircase down into the common room. Tanya followed. She was not sure why because she did not care too much for the boy. He never laughed and he was always in a grim state. He would smile at times, but it was always a mocking mannerism; something to make you wonder and question about the fact of wether or not he hated you or liked you. Tanya had the feeling that, as long as his expressions were toward her, they were more along the lines of dislike.

They came to the tunnel and Avery paused. He stared intently at it and then took a deep breath. "Here, he handed the bucket to her. "I'll go through and you come up behind me. Quickly now!" he climbed in and scrambled as fast as he could. There was the rustle of clothing and then silence. Tanya lifted the bucket into the mouth of the tunnel and then, shoving it ahead of her, began to crawl through. Once she reached the end, Avery took the bucket from her and began to walk down the corridor. She scrambled out and ran after him.

They went down a staircase and came to the entrance hall. Avery set down the bucket and rubbed the palms of his hands. He then looked over at Tanya, and muttered something about blood being cut off by the thin handle. Tanya sighed and he gave her a swift glance.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just that that smells."

Avery nodded as though to say 'well that was obvious.'

Tanya looked away and tried to not feel hurt by this.

"Well, lets get outside. Sheesh, it's pouring down out there!" he went over to the huge oak doors and opened one of them.

They went out and splashed across the lawn. Every tree was dripping and mud splattered onto Tanya's bare feet and ankles. She wrapped her nightgown tighter around her body and looked up at the sky. It was grey and lightning flashed far in the distance. Thunder rumbled far away in the hills.

Avery lead her around to the side of the castle. There was a huge garden. It was not pretty. There were no flowers, just shrubs and weedy, brown grasses. There was a small stone fountain in the middle and a pathway. Thorn bushes clawed at Avery's cloak as he waded through the tangles. He continuously turned his head about and searched along the path as though he had dropped some precious object. After a few minutes, he sighed.

"I guess she's not here," he spoke more to himself than to Tanya. "Nagini!" he called.

Tanya jumped at this sudden cry. It was harsh and sharp, it cut through the noise of the downpour.

"They're for the snake?" Tanya raised her voice.

Avery jumped and spun around to stare at her. "Um, yes!" he turned away and fidgeted with his hands. "Call her," he spoke.

Tanya's eyes widened, "Alright, um . . . Nagini!!"

Avery swallowed and then muttered, "cheap talk."

Tanya looked at his back and felt a pang of annoyance. "What do you . . ."

A bush shook and something was heard slithering toward them.

Tanya spoke again, "The only reason you called me out here was to protect you?"

Avery ignored her. He bent down and was obstructed by a small hedge. Apparently, he was tossing the rodents at the snake because there were small thuds and smacks as some soft bodies hit the walkway.

Tanya listened in silence. Avery was using her. _It would be just his fault if Nagini bit him_, she thought. . .

"So," the Dark Lord tapped his wand upon the desk as he spoke. "You were out in the garden . . . helping Avery?"

Tanya nodded and rubbed her nose with a soppy handkerchief.

"And you went out in the pouring rain?"

"Yes."

"And . . ."

"I was mad," she wiped her nose again and rubbed her eyes.

"So, tell me the whole story," he leant forward and rested his elbows upon the desk.

Tanya blinked a few times and then began to speak slowly. "I was in the dormitory. Tyler and I were making jokes about his smelly sock . . ."

"What?"

"Childish silliness. Anyway, Avery appeared at the door and he had a bucket in his hand. I asked to see what it was and he said that he would show it to me . . ."

"Yes, yes . . Does this really matter to the story? Please be brief!"

"Um . . . Well he ended up inviting me to go out to the garden. He was going out there to feed Nagini. I guess he wanted some company." She felt that she had to bend the truth slightly. There was no reason for making the situation sound as bad as it actually was.

"So you went."

"So I went. And, well he asked if I might talk to Nagini for him. I told him it was not funny - I don't like to talk to her . . ."

The Dark Lord scowled. Tanya stopped short and sniffed.

"Ah-hmm. You don't like talking to her?" his voice went soft.

"Not much. I don't think they like the fact very much."

"Did they say something?"

"No, but they treat me funny - like I'm something breakable, like glass that could shatter at any moment. I don't like the feeling. I guess I'm just too different for their tastes. That is, except for Tyler; he treats me very well; like a sister or something."

Voldemort went back to tapping his wand on the desktop. "Glad of that. But back to the story," he prompted her.

"Well, we went out into the garden. It was pouring and we were met by some scattered thunder and lightning. Everything was dripping and Nagini was slithering around the green plants. Avery put down the bucket and began to pull out the dead rats that were inside it. He flung them at her. Avery accidently flung one too far and hit her square on the head. She hissed at him for that and I told him that he had better not do that. He gave me a funny glance and said that I should tell her that she should stuff it. I was shocked at that and I said that I would not - seeing that that would be very rude. He kept taunting me after that. Said that if I was a 'snake whisperer' then I should talk to her."

Tanya fell silent for a second and then finished: "Then she attacked him."

She fell back in her chair, sighed, and then asked, "Do you think he'll be alright, Sir?"

The Dark Lord scowled down at his wand. "What sort of a question is that?"

"Sir, I believe you just answered you own question…"

"Yes?"

"I guess it is a rude question and I should not have asked it, Sir." Tanya's voice became higher as she answered. She blew her nose to distract the headmaster from this fact.

Voldemort gazed at her and she redirected her eyes to stare over at the window behind him. The sun was creeping out from behind the dark clouds now. It cascaded down in sheets of light that glittered off the moist droplets on the high, paned windows. It made her feel a bit better - warmer inside.

There was silence for a time. Tanya's eyes went out of focus and her mind began to drift off. She thought about her mother, their home several hours away, the weather, how time drags when you don't want it to, why men eventually go bald, how many people have drowned in the ocean, what is the reason for life..?

Suddenly, she was brought back to reality. Some sound had interrupted her. She looked straight ahead of herself and saw that the Dark Lord was still staring at her - and, to her surprise, humming.

"Sorry..,"she began, not really knowing how to finish.

The humming stopped. A bit of colour rose in his cheeks. "Just a song from long ago…," he shrugged absentmindedly.

"What song?"

Voldemort smiled a bit and began to chant quietly, "You bad girl, sad girl…your such a dirty bad girl…"

Tanya's eyes widened, "What?"

He paused to grin at her. "Oh, nothing. I just think that you left something (or should I say, some things) out of your story. You told the snake to attack Avery, didn't you?" It wasn't accusatory, as she had expected, but said with a bit of - excitement?

"Can I ask a question?" she said in a small voice.

"Yes."

"Um.. is Avery going to be alright?"

His face changed to a very serious look. He shook his head, "No."

Tanya dropped her head and looked down at her shoes. "I was afraid of that… I am sorry… I just don't ever want to go out to the garden again." Tears were streaming down and she tried to wipe them away before they became too obvious. "Can I go now?"

The Dark Lord shook his head again and answered, "We have not finished business quite yet. I believe we left off the other day. Have you had any new thoughts?"

"About…?"

"About the parseltongue? Any new discoveries?" he took up his wand and began to examine it as though it were a priceless artifact.

"Actually, I have figured it out - I think. It's stupid."

"Stupid?" his voice went quiet once more.

"I meant that it is unlikely."

"Spill it out."

"We are related?"

A smile crept across his face. "Yes. Now that wasn't so hard, was it? How are we related?"

Tanya paused and then mumbled, "Cousins?"

"Closer…"

"Well, you don't have the same last name - I guess. What is it?"

He straightened up in his chair, "Riddle." A disgusted look came to the surface now.

"My last name is LeStrange."

"Have you ever thought," Voldemort's voice rose, "that your mother may have been trying to hide the fact?"

"But wh…"

"Where did you come from?"

Tanya tried to stifle a giggle, "Um, I don't think I can say, Sir."

"You're not leaving until you answer my question."

"Well, my mom, of course, and some man… You?"

"You knew this already..," he stated, flatly.

Tanya nodded.

"You may go now. But, I am sorry that you do not feel very proud of your parentage - that is a shame." He led her to the door. "I will see you tomorrow at nine."

Tanya went out into the hallway. She turned around and saw that he was leaning against the door post, once again twirling his wand between his fingers. She gulped and tried to avoid the urge to call him father and wish him pleasant dreams. She assumed that he would not take that well at all.

Instead, she ventured a last question: "Where is Avery?"

He did not grin, but there was a flicker of amusement in his dark eyes. "I am not sure I should tell you - you seem too upset."

"I just want to say goodbye…" her throat tightened as she said this. "Since you said he won't be alright…"

The Dark Lord sighed and thought for an instant before he answered. "He is already gone… I had him buried in the graveyard next to the garden. You had best go back to your dormitory."

"But he was alive…"

"For a short while," he finished her sentence. "Now, go to your dorm and have a rest. I must contact his parents," he paused and bit his lip. "On second thought, I should see them in person. I won't see you tomorrow after all. I will be back tomorrow night possibly. In the meantime, I would like you to care for Nagini while I'm away…"

"But… I don't really want to…"

"I need you to do it. You know how to handle her. Do it for the others' sakes. Besides, I am not asking you to do this; I am ordering you to do this. All you have to do is make sure that she is given some company while I'm away. Go and talk to her for a while. You need not feed her."

Tanya was now unable to answer. She nodded solemnly.

"Good," Voldemort gave her one more glance then turned away and went back into his office.

Tanya made her way back to the tunnel. She crawled inside and then began to recount the times that she had heard Avery panic in that very place. She had felt a bit sorry for him - that is until he had been rude to her.

Something hardened within her after this fact came into her head. He had deserved it. He had brought it upon himself. She was not really to blame for all this.

Tanya got to the other side and clambered out. She was instantly visited by the icy stares of the secret society.

"I could do nothing," she found her voice.

Silence ensued and she sat down on the rug before the fire. After a while, she continued. "He insulted Nagini and she attacked him. He brought it on himself. I told the headmaster and he said he could do nothing."

Tyler spoke up, "We don't believe that. Avery has been bit many times. We just bandage him up and he's fine. There's something fishy about this."

"Well, maybe he's worse off than before - or was worse off than before."

"Was?" Liz raised her eyebrows. "For the love of mudbloods! I've got a few words for you - you…"

"Elizabeth!" Tyler's voice was harsh. "Shut up!" He twirled her around and slapped her across the face. She stared at him for an instant and then ran from the room.

Tyler, now feeling that this action had been too cruel, called after her, "Liz, I'm sorry! Liz…" He got up and left in a hurry.

Ailfred began to mumble to himself in a feverish tone. After a moment he approached Tanya. "So," he began as though it was a business conference. "Where is the headmaster?"

Tanya, who was now bent over, sobbing quietly, raised her head and spoke to the fire, "He… left to talk… to… his parents. He said he'd… be back tomorrow.. possibly. I'm supposed to take care of… that snake."

Ailfred nodded. "Right. Well, so he's probably gone now. Tyler will want to know this," he quickly left the room.

A moment later, he returned, followed by Tyler.

"Liz is in no state to come out of her dorm. I left her to get some rest," he eyed Tanya. "So he's gone?"

"Yes."

Tyler grinned and glance sideways at Ailfred, "This means…"

Ailfred began to rub his hands together, "We can do whatever we want. We can get down to business!"

"So what should we start with?" Tyler's face shone in the firelight, making him look like some sort of a demon.

"How about…….. her." Ailfred's voice dropped to a slight hush. "That's where to begin…"


End file.
